Elements of Mental Training in Music

Mental training typically takes place without an instrument or the physical act of playing, and focuses on a particular activity, a conscious guiding of that activity, as well as on incorporating an emotional experience of that activity. Previous research (Immonen, 2007) showed that both modes of practicing, mental as well as physical, involve three important elements: planning, realization, and evaluation of the practice. In music, mental training aims at the most ideally possible act of playing and the creation of a musical event. The research problem is to find out the pianist carries out the mental training. The research data was collected through the interviews of four highly talented pianists of the Sibelius Academy.